Woman&#39;s union-suit



,1: H. STANLEY. y/0MAN's UNION sun. APPLICATION FILED MAY I5| I918- Patented June 1, 1920.

INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JACOB HOWARD STANLEY, OF SPRING CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WOMANS UNION-SUIT.

Application filed May 15, 1918.

nation of objectionable seams in the crotch portion of the garment.

My object is further to reduce the number of seams to be sewn to a minimum and moreover, so form the seams that they are simple straight seams each requiring the union of only two pieces of fabric; and where said seams are located at the hip portions of the garment they are sufiiciently elastic that the garment may readily adapt itself to the shape of the body.

My invention consists of a womans union suit, in which the body and half the leg portions are formed of a tube of knitted fabric folded flat and split at each side fold approximately one-half its length and also cut centrally for a shorter length to form the crotch portion, said tubular fabric provided with outer leg and hip gusset portions of fabric sewn in position along the edges of the split side folds to complete the outer sides of the leg portions as well as provide pocket shaped hip portions, and in which further, the central cut edges of front and back portions are sewn together to form the inner leg portions, all of which will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter set forth.

My invention also comprises details of construction which, together with the features above specified, will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved undergarment, Figs. 2 and 3 are general views of my improved garment as worn; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the garment on line 00-00 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a view showing how the tubular fabric is cut for the body portion of the garment; Fig. 6 is a View showing how a tubular fabric may be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Serial No. 234,635.

out to provide the leg and hip portions which are to be attached to the body portion; and Fig. 7 is a view showing the shape of one of the gusset parts made by cutting as shown in Fig. 6.

2 is a long piece of tubular knitted fab-.

ric out as indicated in Fig. 5 and having the hip and leg gusset portions 3, (Fig. 7), sewn to the side edges thereof. To the upper end of the tubular body 2 is secured the gimp or embroidery 6, which is also adapted to provide the shoulder straps 7, 7. As the tubular knitted fabric is quite elastic transversely to its length, the hip and bust portions will expand to the desired degree necessary to suit the figure of the wearer.

Referring more particularly to the construction which provides the hip and leg portions, the tubular fabric 2 is flattened upon itself and then split along its edges for approximately one-half of its length as indicated at C, O in Fig. 5; and similarly this flattened tubular fabric is cut at the middle, as at D in Fig. 5, to provide four free edges which when sewn in pairs, and united at the top, will form the crotch and inner sides of the leg portions. These seams are shown at 5, 5, in Fi s. 1 and at.

To-form the gusset pieces 3,%ig. 7 I prefer to use a tubular knitted fabric cut into lengths and folded longitudinally in the middle to form a four ply fabric, as in Fig. 6, and then cut the folded fabric diagonally on the line B; and thereafter I cut the severed fabric longitudinally along its shortest lengths, as on A, A. This will provide four pieces 3 of the shape shown in Fig. 7, and two of these are used as gussets to fit into the space formed between the cut edges C, C, of the body 2, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:.

Each of these gusset portions 3 will have vertical parallel edges A, A, in the direction of the lines of wales or ribs of the knitted fabric, and also at one end will have the diagonal or bias edges B, B, meeting in more or less of a point. These edges A, A, and B, B, are sewn to the edges C, C, at the sides of the tubular body 2, by seams A (Figs. 1 and 4) to secure them in position to complete the outer leg portions and the hip portions. All seams 4 and 5 should be of the elastic type, the edges being first sewn together and then overseamed, as is well known in manufacture of underwear from knitted goods. g

It will be observed that the cuts B, B, of the gusset portions 3, being on the bias or diagonal, give great elasticity at the hip porevident that the seams 4, 4, will come in the middle of the leg portions at front and back, in the finished garment, but if the tube of Fig. 6 is of less diameter than the tube of Fig. 5, then the outer portions 3, 3, will form less than one-half the full leg portions of the finished garment, as shown; and in this way the manufacturer may make gar.- mcnts having greater or less hip and leg measure for extremely stout or extremely slender persons. -The construction of my improved garment therefore lends itself readily to the making of garments to suit all types of figures and at no differencein cost or labor, except as may result in the difference in material used.

While the portions 3 are preferably cut for a tubular fabric as shown, it is not necessary so to do, as they may be cut from a fiat single ply web ofknitted fabric if so desired.

The suit here described, is of the type known as a closed bottom union suit and is provided with extreme looseness in the leg and knee portions; and while my invention is ,especially intended for a suit of this character, it may be employed in other types of suits also Heretofore, in suits of the type to which my invention is particularly directed, the great objection has been in securing the desired looseness in the leg and knee portions without too many gussets and seams, which have been required in the crotch of the garment; and as said seams converge at this part, the garment has been clumsy, weak and uncomfortable for the wearer owing to thebungled mass of seams which not only provide roughness but greatly interfere with the elasticity of the garment where it is especially needed. Bymy improvements, all of these objections are entirely overcome; and the garment is susceptible ,of better adaptability to use and also in providing the variations in sizes required, at a minimum cost. V

It will be observed that all seams in my garment run parallel withthe ribs or wales of the knitted fabric, thus forming a very strong union of the cloth and preventing undue stretching in the vertical length.

lVhere the gussets 3, 3, are inserted, however, the upper portions of these gussets being cut diagonally across the ribs or wales, will give considerable and desirable elasticity to the garment over the hips, as previously referred to; and further, the folded gussets 8, .3, being inturned at the upper ends, provide pocket shaped portions of great elasticity which fit. over the hips of the wearer and are readily adapted to fit persons of varied build.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the special features. hereinbefore pointed out, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the details, as the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or V scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: V

A womans undergarment, formed of' a body portion of tubular knitted fabricsplit at front and back in the middle for a short distance and the front and back edges so provided sewn together to provide the inner seamsof the leg portions and crotch of the garment and also having the sides split longitudinally from the waist down to the bottom of the garment,and two leg andhip gussetportions of knitted fabric having tapered. upper parts and respectively having their side edges sewn to the edges of the splits in the body portion, the seams so provided extending vertically at the front and back of the leg portions of the garment and uniting over the hip portions and the main lengths of the gusset portions folded vertically upon themselves to provide seamless sides to the garment to fit around the outer sides of the legs and the upper ends curved inward to provide pocket shaped hip portions of great elasticity.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

J. I-IOIVARD STANLEY. 

